Florida and South Georgia are known for their humid climates. High humidity an create mold concerns for homeowners. If you’re trying to get your home checked out for mold, you may hear different terms being used. Mold Inspection and Mold Assessment are often used synonymously. But, they’re somewhat nuanced. Read on to learn the differences between mold inspection vs. mold assessment
Mold Inspection vs. Mold Assessment
We’re going to spend some time clarifying these terms to make navigating your mold issues less confusing. One reason it’s crucial to understand the differences is that, under Florida law, mold assessors cannot provide mold remediation on the SAME job.
This law is in place to protect homeowners by preventing potential conflicts of interest. This is why you will often hear a remediation company referring to a job as a “mold inspection” when they come out to your home versus an assessor, who will refer to the job as a “mold assessment.”
What Is a Mold Inspection?
A mold inspection is often a type of “preliminary” investigation that is carried out when you call a mold remediation company to come out to your property. During their investigation, they can look at your overall environment and determine if you require mold remediation. This does not require testing, but they have to be careful of what language they use to diagnose the situation.
They can remediate your home without having to do tests but, keep in mind, they will not be able to conclusively identify the types of mold present. In other words, there are limitations to their “mold inspection.”
What Is a Mold Assessment?
Also referred to as “mold testing,” a mold assessment is where a certified mold assessor comes out to your property and does the following:
- Overall assessment of the layout of the property and identification mold sources
- They take air and surface samples
- They send the air and surface samples to a certified lab
- They develop a mold remediation protocol based on the lab results
- They provide post-testing after the remediation is complete
This is a very different process that allows an assessor to identify the types of mold present, in what concentrations, and potential causes/sources of mold overgrowth.
Once the protocol is created by the mold assessor, it can be given to a certified mold remediator who can then follow the recommendations and restore your property to a healthy living environment.
Mold Inspection vs. Mold Assessment: The Importance of Professional Services
Whether you’re hiring a company for mold remediation or mold assessment, it’s crucial that you choose professional companies that are properly certified, well-trained, and insured. These companies utilize industry best practices and specialized equipment to not only determine what type of mold issue you have but also the cause. There can be many different causes of mold problems. Some of these include:
- A previous water damage that wasn’t dried properly
- A roof or pipe leak
- Inadequate ventilation or an improperly installed HVAC system
- Issues with the building envelope based on the way it was constructed or they types of materials used
- Poor cleaning or home maintenance habits
It could be because of these or any number of other issues. Regardless, such determinations should be made by qualified professionals.
The Benefits of Early Detection
It’s important to immediately hire a mold assessor when you suspect you have a mold problem. Early detection will minimize damage to your property and deter any potential health issues that could arise from prolonged mold exposure. Catching mold earlier will also make dealing with it more cost-effective and easier.
Mold Inspection vs. Mold Assessment in Jacksonville, Gainesville, and South Georgia
Hiring a LOCAL mold assessor is the key to success. If you living anywhere in Florida or South Georgia, including Jacksonville, Gainesville, and the surrounding areas, reach out to a mold assessor like Flo-Air Services if you suspect you have mold issues. Our team is trained and certified to identify mold!